Loading a wheelchair, preferably an electric wheelchair, into a motor vehicle is a problem for people with limited mobility who would like to drive the motor vehicle themselves. The wheelchair will hereinafter be referred to for simplicity as an electric wheelchair. Either the electric wheelchair has to be manually disassembled by a person sitting in a driver's seat, whereupon the individual and potentially soiled components of the electric wheelchair have to be lifted and disposed on the passenger side of the motor vehicle, this being associated with a high outlay in terms of time and effort. Alternatively, a cost-intensive mechanical system can be installed in or on the motor vehicle, respectively, said mechanical system potentially having a mechanical arm, for example, which requires a lot of time in order to extend from the rear of the motor vehicle toward the front or the front side, respectively, to acquire the electric wheelchair, then to move the electric wheelchair to the rear of the motor vehicle, and finally to lift the electric wheelchair into the rear loading space of the motor vehicle.
The video available at this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPUnNYOPAhU shows an automated handling of an electric wheelchair. The automation comprises an autonomous driving function of an electric wheelchair, on account of which the electric wheelchair can drive autonomously from a driver's door region of the motor vehicle to the rear of the motor vehicle, and vice versa. The automation moreover comprises an autonomous loading and unloading function of a lifting arrangement that is disposed on the motor vehicle or in a loading space at the rear, respectively, by way which the electric wheelchair that is positioned on a liftable platform of the lifting arrangement to the rear of the motor vehicle can be lifted into the rear loading space of the motor vehicle and be lifted out of the loading space.
The limitations in the design of the autonomous loading and unloading function, or of a lifting arrangement that is equipped with such a function, respectively, are that firstly no structural modifications, such as, for example, a change to a tailgate mechanism, an alteration of a motor vehicle floor pan and the like, on the vehicle should be necessary, and that all equipment components that are required for the loading and unloading function, or for the lifting arrangement, respectively, should be defined as accessories which can be readily disposed on the motor vehicle and potentially be later removed from the motor vehicle again without damage to the motor vehicle. It is moreover recommended that the equipment components that are required for the loading and unloading function, or for the lifting arrangement, respectively, are provided as optional equipment components of a motor vehicle available to order such that the costs and the complexity of the motor vehicle can be minimized. For example, the opening of a tailgate by way of an actuator should be based on an item of vehicle equipment that is present and not on a new design.
DE 20 2014 100 151 U1 relates to a wheelchair loading device for selectively loading a wheelchair into and unloading the wheelchair from a motor vehicle. The wheelchair loading device is releasably connectable to the motor vehicle and comprises: a main body that is different from the motor vehicle and that for releasably connecting the wheelchair loading device to the motor vehicle is releasably coupleable to the motor vehicle; two pivot arms which are pivotably attached to said main body and which are mutually spaced apart transversely to the respective longitudinal extent of said pivot arms; a receptacle installation for receiving the wheelchair, wherein the receptacle installation is connected to each of the pivot arms such that the wheelchair that is coupled by means of the receptacle installation is movable by conjoint pivoting of the two pivot arms; and a drive installation for driving pivoting movements of the two pivot arms.
US 2016/0023586 A1 relates to a lifting arrangement for a vehicle, having a mounting which is conceived for fastening to the vehicle, a lifting arm which is rotatably coupled to the mounting, and a docking structure which is supported by the lifting arm and is conceived for lifting a personal mobility means, wherein the docking structure includes an electrical connector for the electrical connection to an electrical connector of the personal mobility means.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,616,972 A discloses a device for loading a wheelchair into a trunk space of a passenger motor vehicle. The chassis comprises an upper portion which defines guide rails in which a slide can roll, and a lower portion which is fastened to the lower face of the trunk space. Folding support means are provided between the upper and the lower portion such that the upper portion during a loading procedure can be lowered in the direction of the lower portion. Crank and lever means are used such that the slide, when the chair is lifted and rotated into the rear loading space, is moved from the rearwardmost to the forwardmost position of said slide while the upper portion is being lowered. A locking mechanism to prevent any undesired movement of the slide when the slide is in the rearwardmost loading or unloading position thereof is present.
US 2012/0275891 A1 discloses a wheelchair lifting device for loading a wheelchair into the trunk space of a motor vehicle. The wheelchair lifting device comprises a main frame which can be installed in the trunk space of a motor vehicle, a wheelchair platform for holding a wheelchair, a sliding frame for displacing the wheelchair platform into the trunk space or out of the latter, and a pivotable lifting mechanism for lifting and lowering the wheelchair platform.
US 2007/0189885 A1 relates to a device for removing a wheelchair from the trunk space of a motor vehicle. The device is collapsible and in the collapsed state thereof can readily fit into the trunk space of a motor vehicle.
US 2005/0105995 A1 relates to a lifting assembly having a first telescopic element which has a flange for fastening the lifting assembly to a vehicle, a second telescopic element which is connected to the first telescopic element, and a tool which is coupled to the second telescopic element, wherein the tool is movable along two orthogonal motion axes which are established by the two telescopic elements.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,306,422 B2 discloses a wheelchair lift installation which in an operatively connected manner has: a platform for supporting a passenger; a lift mechanism to which the platform, in a manner adjacent to the inwardly directed end thereof, is pivotably connected, wherein the mechanism is adapted to be fastened to a vehicle in order for the platform to be moved between a floor-level position, a transfer-level position, and a vertically retracted position, and vice versa; wherein the lift mechanism has at least one parallelogram structure which includes a vertical lifting arm and an articulated lever assembly, the latter two being activatable by way of the parallelogram structure in order for the platform to be pivoted out of the transfer position and to the retracted position; wherein the articulated lever assembly has connection systems which extend between the vertical lifting arm and the platform and have a thrust arm which is pivotably connected to the inwardly directed end of the platform; a barrier plate which in a manner adjacent to the inwardly directed end of the platform is pivotably fastened to the platform and is movable between a raised safety lock position and a lowered bridge position when the platform is in the transfer-level position. The connection system furthermore comprises a lock activation connection member for moving the barrier plate between the raised safety lock position and the lowered bridge position, wherein the lock activation connection member is connected so as to be pivotable between the thrust arm and the barrier plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,139,122 B2 relates to a device for loading a wheelchair into a vehicle, and for automatically mounting the wheelchair in a housing which protects the wheelchair and the mechanisms of the device from the influence of weather during transportation. The housing is disposed on a portion of a loading floor of a pick-up truck such that the use of the loading floor for other purposes is enabled when the mechanisms of the device are in the storage position.
The publication “SCOOTERBOY—Examples of installation” available at the link http://www.rausch-technik.com/products/wheelchairloadingsy−/scooterboy/wheelchair-or-scooter-in-the-trunk/examples-of-installation/#! discloses a lifting assembly for lifting an electric wheelchair into a rear loading space of a motor vehicle and for lifting the electric wheelchair out of the loading space. To this end, the lifting assembly comprises a platform which is liftable from the floor into the loading space, or vice versa is lowerable, the electric wheelchair being positionable on said platform.